Snow: a new season begins

Dawn was silent except for the muffled sound of heavy wet snow falling from tree limbs.A perfect start for winter even though the calender says not yet. A quick walk about my woods and meadows revealed abundent tracks of wildlife: deer, rabbits and mice most obvious. At the edge of the meadow a single file pattern of tracks told of a fox that went on his, or perhaps her first snowy meadow mouse hunt. And barely 100 feet from my door a red squirrel gnawed on a black walnut, one of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of nuts I did not gather for myself. The snow also reminds me it is time to put away the hammock, time to pull in my wooden 'meadow observation chair' and time to dream of cross country skiing and winter adventures.

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About Me

Jonathan Schechter, a naturalist and resident of Brandon Township with a passion for outdoor adventure and severe weather events writes a weekly hiking column for the Oakland Press. He lives on 11 acres with a rich mix of wildlife, meadows, woods and wetlands. He has a Master of Science Degree in Forest Resources from the U. of Washington and is an active member of the Wilderness Medical Society certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. His writings and nature photos reveal ways humans are subtly yet dynamically altering the behavior of wildlife leading to a corruption of nature's way and wildlife behavior. Join his Earth Almanac blog as Jonathan shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond.